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Topic: Steve Roach discussion (Read 79828 times)

Spirit Dome is a classic...epically murky, an absolute levitational journey through vast underworlds...and those mighty drums that pound. Gotta listen to it tonight... And speaking of Innerzone, it was the first tuly ambient music I heard, before knowing anything of any of these guys. I remember buying it wondering if it was going to be 'cheesy new age' but also struck by the wonderful cover art and intriguing track titles...and when I threw it on later that night...I remember just being blown away and realizing that a whole new world of music was opening up. That beginning track is insane with those bursting fractal thought-forms.

I don't think I'd have to be "highly" cynical unless I had good reason to be, and judging by the fact the label itself is stuck with what, 1,000 copies that aren't selling forcing them to practically give it away, and then discovering, by coincidence, 80 sets of only the other two discs...when I read the "explanation" for all of this my intelligence was insulted. I am not forcing anyone to take my side, just stating my opinion. On a side note, I've noticed most of the "on sale" CD's at the SR site are the weakest and least popular. Prices are usually reduced on products (not just CD's) that don't move. It is simple economics. Projekt is not going to reissue the other two discs and take another loss. Take care. --Drone On

I think "drone on" has a legitimate point about the law of supply and demand that hardly warrants a piling on. Ambient of any sort does not sell in the quantities that it did even just a few years ago. Retail outlets for ambient music have been disappearing, and I am hardly surprised that Borders, which used to carry Projekt's recordings, is now on the financial brink. Be thankful that these 80 discs were not buried with the master recordings for "Dream Circle"

I don't think I'd have to be "highly" cynical unless I had good reason to be, and judging by the fact the label itself is stuck with what, 1,000 copies that aren't selling forcing them to practically give it away,

How do you know they are stuck with "1,000 copies?" I doubt they even printed that many. You are making assumptions based upon little to nothing, you are making a mountain out of a mole hill.

Loren, I could argue with you all day about this topic, but honestly I don't know why there is so much resistance to somebody pointing out the obvious. If you can explain to me why Somewhere Else is being sold for $6.99 at Projekt and Soleilmoon, for a reason other than that it was a commercial flop, I would love to know. As for "Blood Machine," that CD was advertised on the SR site last year as "very last copies" and now it is "on sale." Yes, it is a great album, but obviously sales haven't been too swift for whatever reason. I promise not to make any negative comments about SR for at least six months. ;-)

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Bill Binkelman

Loren, I could argue with you all day about this topic, but honestly I don't know why there is so much resistance to somebody pointing out the obvious. If you can explain to me why Somewhere Else is being sold for $6.99 at Projekt and Soleilmoon, for a reason other than that it was a commercial flop, I would love to know. As for "Blood Machine," that CD was advertised on the SR site last year as "very last copies" and now it is "on sale." Yes, it is a great album, but obviously sales haven't been too swift for whatever reason. I promise not to make any negative comments about SR for at least six months. ;-)

Considering how things go on this forum with regards to Steve's music, I'd probably say a year or two is a better idea!

I guess it's hard to speculate what will be a popular "best-selling" (all relative) ambient title. I would never have thought the Immersion 3 set would be a big seller, especially after two other similar volumes, but I noticed at Projekt that they've less than 100 left. I guess there could be 832 sitting in record shops across the world ...

I've been playing lots of Immersion 3 (especially "First Light") and Arc of Passion, and I have to say I think Arc is becoming one of my favorite Roach discs. I had been feeling that I didn't really have time to properly digest the last few (I still need to give Proof Positive, Storm Surge, and Possible Planet more listens and some of those are almost 2 years old), but this one has hardly left the CD player since I got it for Christmas.

I just played the Innerzone samples at the site again ... gonna have to reinvestigate the whole album I think. Back in '02/'03 I think I might have been suffering serious Roach/Obmana overload.

Althought i love some of Steve Roach's pure atmospheric soundworlds, i am having a bit more difficulty getting into his more "static" long form works of late (ie: Immersion serie). Maybe my attention span has become shorter with time . Mind you, I've just received 1 of the set of 80 and i really love "Revealing the Secret", but there seems to be some movement in that piece, some evolution going through....

I always tended to gravitate towards his more dynamic cds ("Core", "Blood Machine" with Vir Unis and "Light Fantastic" are long time favorites ) as i really like his sense of groove, this electro-tribal fusion of pure electronic and futuristic sounds or, on the other hand the very exotic with a strong sense of place like "Early Man" , "Possible Planet" or "Terraform"...

I' m curious about what's attracting or not so for others in his music...just for the sake of conversation.

Steve has done a huge range of music over the years and I find that I tend to listen to the variety in cycles or batches, the drifting soundscapes, tribal, collaberations with Vidna, fractal grooves.....No set listening order. It's a bit like being at a banquet.

Steve was the first 'new' electronic musician I listened to after many years of not listening to any music, so for me he also has that 'oh my god' effect when i discovered people were still making the music of my youth....a whole horizon opened up for me.

The Magnificent Void and On This Planet were my first introduction to his music and are still in my favourites - others are the Ascension of Shadows box set, Possible Planet, the Serpent's Lair, Light Fantastic and Early Man.

Problem is that once I start making a list it just gets longer and longer as other discs jump into my memory

I've not really got into Fever Dreams or the more 'straight' forward sequencer fests, never been that keen on sequencer based music and the fever dream disc i have just never comes out unless prompted by a thought or a discussion like this.

I did try to describe what aspects of his music I tend to go for, but every line I wrote didn't cover it, a lot depends on my mood, what I am doing etc.

Thanks to this thread, I was reminded once again to play InnerZone, which I love, but always seem to overlook somehow. Great stuff, eerie & cold & glassy. But for some reason, I was never able to get into Spirit Dome, even though the atmosphere is similar, if darker.

I always loved Well of Souls; and Ascension of Shadows is awesome, especially "Memory Pool" and "Somewhere Else".

I love Steve's music, and his website is great for listening to clips and easily finding releases and press information - but does anyone else find that the descriptions and imagery surrounding his music can make it hard to get other people into his stuff? I mean people who normally like to explore the more unusual areas of music; people who most likely would love the musical content of Steve's discs. I know it's stupid to dismiss anything as "newage" before even giving it a try, but that does seem to sometimes happen to me when I tell people to explore the Roach catalog.

I'm not too bothered by it, and often the covers and names of his albums actually help rather than hinder my listening experiences of his music. Sometimes, though, the write-ups and names can seem a bit bombastic, while the music is actually potent in a very subtle way...

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Bill Binkelman

I love Steve's music, and his website is great for listening to clips and easily finding releases and press information - but does anyone else find that the descriptions and imagery surrounding his music can make it hard to get other people into his stuff? I mean people who normally like to explore the more unusual areas of music; people who most likely would love the musical content of Steve's discs. I know it's stupid to dismiss anything as "newage" before even giving it a try, but that does seem to sometimes happen to me when I tell people to explore the Roach catalog.

I'm not too bothered by it, and often the covers and names of his albums actually help rather than hinder my listening experiences of his music. Sometimes, though, the write-ups and names can seem a bit bombastic, while the music is actually potent in a very subtle way...

Damn, I'm lost reading between the "jump to conclusions" game, and the "let's bust those who jump to conclusions" game. I'll play the latter game, and remind Loren of the time he tried to jump me (yes, a card-carrying member) in a case of mistaken identitiy once. I satirically referred to Roach as a 'sell out', because, well, we had a couple infamous forum members a few years back who labeled him as such. Loren totally misunderstood my joke, and well, y'all know how the rest goes It's hard knocks around here when Roach's name enters the arena.

Damn, I'm lost reading between the "jump to conclusions" game, and the "let's bust those who jump to conclusions" game. I'll play the latter game, and remind Loren of the time he tried to jump me (yes, a card-carrying member) in a case of mistaken identitiy once. I satirically referred to Roach as a 'sell out', because, well, we had a couple infamous forum members a few years back who labeled him as such. Loren totally misunderstood my joke, and well, y'all know how the rest goes

I think I have a pretty good memory but I don't remember that at all. If I did as you said then I am sorry. Its sometimes hard to tell when one is joking and one is being serious in a written context. Maybe Drone on is doing the same but I have seen over the years enough people take pot shots at Steve just because he is thought of as a big name in the field. And since he is a close personal friend it takes it to a whole other level for me.

Is Steve perfect, a saint, incapable of mistakes? Heck no. Do I think anyone saying anything negative or critical about him is totally wrong at all times? No, far from it. Heck even I have a hard time keeping up with all his releases and I agree that sometimes his website is a bit heavy. So maybe I am the one jumping to conclusions and I should just shutup or maybe even just get off these forums all together.